Instead, his students are learning and sharing the stories of immigrants living in their community. Now, IASC is working with ISAAC to expand the project and produce a calendar featuring students’ work.

The project began with short profiles of New London-area immigrants. Students interviewed immigrants, then summarized their stories in profiles that also included a hand-drawn map and a professional photo. Along the way, they learned valuable skills: how to conduct and write up an interview, and how to connect individuals’ stories with the history and policies they’d been learning about.

In fact, many of Kuczenski’s students have stories of their own; more than half are immigrants themselves or are the children of immigrants.

Now that the school year is over, we’re working with Kuczenski to put his students in touch with more immigrants–and, eventually, create and distribute a calendar featuring his students’ work.

The project has already taught students that, especially when it comes to immigration, individual stories matter. It’s a lesson worth learning–and one we hope we can share alongside these students’ work.

On Monday March 6, 2017 President Trump signed Executive order 1379 that replicates the travel ban issued on Jan 27, 2017. The new travel ban blocks immigration from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. Current countries that the ban blocks citizens from are Syria, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan, exempting Iraq, from obtaining visas for at least 90 days. The Executive order also suspends admission of refugees into the U.S. for 120 days until there is an improvement of extreme vetting. Iraq was the only country removed from the ban, according to the New York Times, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis requested the reduction of Iraq. Defense Secretary Mattis stated that Iraq would be an ally in helping defeat terrorist groups like ISIS.

According to the department of state, The travel ban will go into effect beginning March 16. The order exempts citizens from the six countries banned with permanent residents and current visa holders of entering the U.S, and exludes those foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic visas, North Atlantic Treaty Organizations visas, C-2 visas for travels to the United Nations and G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4 visas. The new order may not be as harsh as the first one signed back in January, but it does continue to discriminate against people from the Muslim Religion.

Days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily barring from the United States all refugees as well as citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries, many local and statewide organizers are working to fight it.

On Monday, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, condemned the executive order on the House floor. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal asked whether the Justice Department is properly vetting Trump’s orders. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy unveiled legislation that would block Trump’s ban.

Attorney Michael T. Doyle, who oversees the Church of the City Immigration Advocacy & Support Center in New London, said he has been losing sleep as he figures out the next steps.

The order, which went into effect Friday, put into place an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, as well as a 120-day ban on other refugees. It also made it so all citizens of seven countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen — couldn’t enter the United States. Instantly, visitors and even people with green cards were detained at airports in the United States and abroad.

Doyle joined a rapid response team organized by the ACLU so he could offer services to those in limbo at Bradley International Airport who might need his help.

“We really feel that what we’re seeing is devastating to the fabric of our country. … We’ve got to speak loud and often. We have to stand fast against each unconstitutional act, each violation of civil rights” – ATTORNEY MICHAEL J. DOYLE

Doyle and his staffers also have made it known that any immigrants with questions can bring them to the advocacy and support center. And they’ve advised people from the seven specified nations to stay in the United States, even if they have green cards, which are held by permanent legal residents of the U.S.

Doyle is used to directly aiding immigrants, whether by helping them navigate visas and green cards, walking them through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or assisting them when they’re victims of crimes including domestic violence and human trafficking.

Now he and other center employees are working to join with other similar organizations “to convert our voice into political change.”

“We really feel that what we’re seeing is devastating to the fabric of our country,” Doyle said, adding that he doesn’t want to look back decades from now and wish he hadn’t been silent.

“We’ve got to speak loud and often,” he said. “We have to stand fast against each unconstitutional act, each violation of civil rights.”

After last Tuesday’s election, the rhetoric
of the victorious party is determinedly set against immigrants, causing immediate fear among many immigrant populations.

In Sunday’s edition of the New London Day, IASC’s Director, Attorney Michael Doyle, was featured emphasizing the positive rhetoric of the United States being a Nation of Immigrants saying that “Without immigrants, we really wouldn’t have this country.”

IASC is determined to move forward by focusing on the positive. While a major concern is the recipients of DACA, all immigrant populations at risk face the same fears of losing the country that they have come to know and being separated from their families.

Although little is known concerning what exact form new policies will take, in cooperation with other local organizations IASC hopes to move forward by being cautious and well informed, but mostly by bringing people together.

On September 19th, IASC had the opportunity to work with Otis Library in Norwich, CT to organize a ‘Welcoming America’ event. The celebration was meant to bring community members, immigrants and U.S. born residents alike to celebrate the arrival of new Americans and the already diverse community we have come to know. Community members also celebrated the opening of the World Language Center Children’s Department in Otis Library. Attendees had the opportunity to enjoy culturally inspired activities, art, and food.